The Wing or the Thigh? (1976)

The Wing or the Thigh? is the kind of comedy that feels lovingly handmade: a fizzy, sharply observed celebration of good taste—culinary and otherwise—powered by Louis de Funès at full, glorious speed. It takes a simple premise (a revered food critic staring down the rise of industrial eating) and turns it into a brisk, mischievous romp of disguises, TV-show pressure, and father-son friction that never stops finding new ways to be funny. Claude Zidi keeps the tone bright and buoyant, with satire that’s pointed but never mean, and Coluche adds a warm, unruly counterbeat that makes the family dynamic more than just a gag machine. If you like broad, physical French comedy with a real affection for tradition—and you don’t mind the humor being of its era—this is a deliciously entertaining argument for why craft still matters.

The Wing or the Thigh? is trying to be a broad, crowd-pleasing satire about real cuisine versus industrial fast food, built around Louis de Funès’ signature high-strung energy and physical comedy. If you don’t click with old-school French farce—big reactions, repetitive gags, and a plot that’s basically an excuse to bounce between set pieces—you may find it more exhausting than funny. The social commentary is clear but not exactly subtle, and the pacing can feel shaggy if you’re expecting a tight, modern comedy. That said, there’s a warm father-son angle and a few genuinely inventive sequences (especially once the “food factory” stuff kicks in) that make it worth a look if you enjoy classic European slapstick and don’t mind the film being louder than it is clever.